Government Data On Children Who Lost Parents Due To COVID-19

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Social Affairs records the names and addresses of children who have lost their parents due to COVID-19 and runs assistance programs for them.

"So far, accurate data by name by address (with name and address) regarding orphans, orphans, and orphans whose parents died due to exposure to COVID-19 are still being collected by our team in the field," said Minister of Social Affairs Tri Rismaharini in his press statement in Jakarta, reported by Antara, Friday, August 6.

"However, the assistants have also carried out case responses for these children," he said.

He explained, the Ministry of Social Affairs has provided assistance to children who have lost their parents due to COVID-19 through the Social Rehabilitation Assistance Program (ATENSI), which includes meeting children's basic needs, COVID-19 test services, vaccination services, and counseling services.

The Ministry of Social Affairs also helps large families of children overcome difficulties in parenting and provides physical, psychosocial, and mental-spiritual therapy services for children who have lost their parents due to COVID-19.

In order to prevent children from losing their right to care, the Ministry of Social Affairs brings together children who have lost parents due to COVID-19 with their extended families, facilitates alternative care through foster parenting or child adoption programs, and provides orphanage services for children.

Risma said that the Ministry of Social Affairs had, among other things, united Vino (10), a child who was orphaned due to COVID-19 in West Kutai, East Kalimantan, with his grandfather from Sragen, Central Java.

"Not only in West Kutai, until now we have carried out a rapid response to children whose parents died from COVID-19, including in Kutai Kartanegara, Samarinda, Sukoharjo, Purwakarta, Bekasi, and Muna Regency, Southeast Sulawesi, " he said.

The Ministry of Social Affairs receives data on the names and addresses of children whose parents have died due to COVID-19 from the Social Rehabilitation Center/Loka and Social Rehabilitation Facilitator.

The East Java Social Worker Service Unit (Sakti Peksos) reported that there were 166 children who had lost one or both parents due to COVID-19 in seven districts/cities in East Java.

Meanwhile in Yogyakarta, 142 children were reported to have lost their mother, father, or mother and father due to COVID-19.

According to data from the COVID-19 Task Force as of July 20, 2021, 11,045 children became orphans, orphans, or orphans due to COVID-19. In addition, there are 350,000 children who have contracted COVID-19, and 777 of them have died.

Risma said that the Ministry of Social Affairs would then cooperate with relevant institutions/agencies as well as non-governmental organizations to help children who have lost their parents due to COVID-19.